Cad Bane is one of the deadliest Bounty Hunters in the galaxy, but he also might be one of the oldest. Now that Bane has appeared in the Book of Boba Fett, I thought we’d take a look at some of the more interesting aspects of the character, and compare him to some of the other crime lords, bounty hunters, and smugglers who survived the Galactic Civil War.

And when we do that, one of the most interesting factoids about Bane is his age. Because he’s survived a long time, in one of the deadliest professions in the galaxy. And once you know the truth about his species, the Duros, you have to wonder, is Bane up to the challenge?

Let’s start with a simpler question.

How old is Cad Bane?

To answer it simply… he was born in the year 62 BBY. That’s decades before the creation of the Empire, the fall of the Jedi Order, and well before Palpatine planned Darth Plageuis’ death.

Since the events of the Book of Boba Fett take place in the year 9 ABY, then it’s easy to do some quick math, and figure out Bane was about 71 years old by the time he walked across the Tatooine desert, serving the Pike syndicate.

Now… this might just seem like a random factoid about Bane’s age… and it certainly is… but when we look at the biology of his species, the Duros, we find that 71 years old is actually pretty old.

Unlike Wookies or Hutts, who could live for centuries, the Duros actually had fairly short lifespans. According to the Ultimate Alien Anthology (legends I believe), if a member of the Duros species ever survived past his 69th birthday, he was considered elderly. That means, during Cad Bane’s golden era, the Clone Wars, he was already middle-aged.

So the version of the character that pops up in the Book of Boba Fett might look pretty menacing, but he’s actually well past his prime.

I know...We’re all looking forward to a classic duel in the dunes of Tatooine. I can’t wait to see Bane pull his LL-30 blaster pistol out of his holster, and take out the heroes...

But instead of the spry Bounty Hunter who survived death defying leaps when apprehending the unmodified clone, Omega, on the Bora Vio facility… we’re probably going to get a slower, angrier, old-man version of Cad. I’m hoping that Bane will be similar to Clint Eastwood from Unforgiven… an old, washed up gun-for-hire who still has a few good fights left in him.

Which… I’m equally pumped to see.

If we just look at Cad Bane’s most famous Clone Wars adversary, Obi-Wan Kenobi, the wear and tear of age undoubtedly plays a significant role for warriors. By his death, Kenobi’s body had deteriorated greatly. His joints, from years of combat and trudging through the Dune seas, were ground down, just as any old man’s would be. While this physical pain didn’t really affect his abilities in the force… and he was still quite a tough opponent in a lightsaber duel… Kenobi’s best years were behind him.

And I can’t help but think of Kenobi, whenever I see Bane. I wonder what the showrunners have planned. Will he, somehow, serve a similar purpose in future episodes, as Kenobi did when he brought Luke Skywalker to the Rebellion… after all, he was once Boba Fett’s mentor, just like Jango was once his.

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